Despite the title this is more an examination of how the legend of Wyatt Earp has evolved in Hollywood’s hands rather than representations of the mythic gunfight (although the two are inextricably linked.) By my calculations there have been 32 movies made to date that include Earp as a character. This volume takes a deep dive into perhaps the 8 best known ones.

If you’re the sort of person who enjoys lengthy plot descriptions and detail comparisons of scenes from various drafts vs what ended up on screen, then this is the book for you. Personally I found that aspect of each essay a bit tedious.

However I did enjoy the back stories on how each movie came to be made, it’s reception at the time, as well as the author’s views on where it worked (or didn’t). Blake doesn’t hold back on his opinions as both a film industry professional and Earp scholar. ( )

An examination of the gunfight at the OK Corral as depicted in a series of movies. Getting the most attention is Tombstone, arguably the best of the movies. (Alternatively, the generally unpopular revisionist Doc is polished off in a few pages.). Lots of photos, plenty of movie lore, the book kicks off with a summary of the gunfight and its background. For OK Corral buffs and movie Western fans especially. ( )